Bob’s note: The old woman here is, in my head anyway, a prototype for the old man in “The Carcassonne Dream.” Oh, and the tortured subject-verb relationships…well, that kind of the point. Today fiction chooses him. Among the crowd circling the bookstore café, he is fastest to claim the open table. He powers up his laptop and…… Continue reading Satire: “He Writes in the Present Tense”
Category: This Whole Writing Thing
Behind the Short Story: “First of a Fine Spectacle”
I’m honored that my short story / high farce “First of a Fine Spectacle” was selected for Pure Slush No. 7, Catherine refracted. I’m a history buff. But I’ve not had much interest writing historical fiction. Or flash fiction. So historical flash? What drew me was the collection’s theme: Catherine the Great. A canvas rife with legend, some deserved, others…… Continue reading Behind the Short Story: “First of a Fine Spectacle”
Masters of Voice: Donald E. Westlake
I wish I had discovered Donald E. Westlake years earlier than I did. He is a writing hero for his ability to tell a story and to make it zing. His The Ax is as terrifying a novel as I’ve ever read. His Parker character is legendary, but it’s the Dortmunder crew I love most. Here are…… Continue reading Masters of Voice: Donald E. Westlake
Behind the Short Story: “The Transcendence of Pi”
This March I had the thrill beyond thrill (thrilled2?) of my short story “The Transcendence of Pi” taking first place in On The Premises’ writing contest #19. I tried to write a good story well — lots of literary inner workings, if you will — and it was a humbling and an honor that the editors thought “Pi”…… Continue reading Behind the Short Story: “The Transcendence of Pi”